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Something changes behind me.

Wood creaks where I didn’t step.

By Annam M GordonPublished 4 months ago Updated 4 months ago 1 min read
Something changes behind me.
Photo by Teslariu Mihai on Unsplash

The hallway light flickers once, then holds. I keep walking, shoulders tight, like the air knows I’m here.

Each step lands too loud on the old boards, and the echo doesn’t match.

There’s nothing behind me. I checked. But the space doesn’t feel empty.

Something changed. I stop breathing for a second. I tell myself it’s just the house settling, just the wind, just my own blood knocking.

Still, my neck prickles like it remembers teeth.

I speed up. The thing matches me, step for careful step, never close enough to see, never gone long enough to forget.

If I turned now, what would I see?

A shape wearing my shape?

A face I almost know?

Better not to look just keep walking.

The dark stays where it is. The footsteps behind me don’t.

Mental Health

About the Creator

Annam M Gordon

My books and writing focus on real people. These stories come from lived experience. I collaborate with individuals and mental health professionals. https://muckrack.com/annammgordon https://app.qwoted.com/sources/annam-m-gordon?

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    Written by Annam M Gordon